Updated Volkswagen Passat To Be Launched In January

As the Indian automobile industry is growing at a steady pace, different automakers are making their efforts to improve their market share in the country. We have the news of new Honda Accord hybrid coming this year and joining the segment to rival it is the Volkswagen Passat, which is all set to be launched in January 2017. Test mules without camouflage have been already spotted on Indian roads, hinting the launch soon in the market. The updated Volkswagen Passat will be now introduced with a petrol engine, which will be a 1.8-litre TSI unit, delivering 180 hp maximum power.

The same engine powers the Skoda Octavia and Superb and is paired to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The updated Volkswagen Passat made its world debut in the year 2014 when the German automaker discontinued the previous model in India. Based on the new MQB platform, the sedan is spacious and comfortable enough to match the segment standards. While the initial plan is to introduce the updated Passat only with petrol engine, a 2.0-litre diesel engine is also on cards at the later stage.

Even Passat GTE is in the planning stage to attract the customers who prefer alternative fuels to power their cars. The Passat GTE will directly give tough competition to the Honda Accord hybrid, which is set to be launched later this month. But, the GTE version will be available with limited numbers. After analyzing the response from the customers, the company might push the number. The previous generation of Passat did not perform well on the Indian roads and due to low sales figure, the company discontinued it. But, the demand of premium sedans is again increasing in the country and this is the reason why most of the automakers are again introducing their players in the respective segment.

Abhishek is a Content Strategist with hands on diversified projects. Being an automobile enthusiast, his passion for cars and curiosity to explore the field helps him in evolving engaging content with an eye on each and every precise detail.